Pneumatic wheel.



1. A. CARM.'

PNEUMATIC WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED SEN'. l0. 191i.

1,285,61s- Famed Nov. 26,1918.

` *w @gag/775,2?

g/ @www @y STATES PATENT onmcn.

JAMES A. CARTER, OI ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI PNEUMATIC WHEEL.

Application ledseptember 10, 1917.

To all w hom, #may concern Be it known that Li JAMES AQCARTER, ay

Thisinvention relatesgenerally to pneu-A maticV wheelsrfandemore particularly,- lto ra certain newand ,useful improvement m armored pneumatic drive-wheels- Afor automobiles-,and-,the likeythevobjects of my present invention being to provide f a pneumatic wheel construction havin flexible armen or shoe, pre erably Voit suitable sheety metal, constitutifngrthe wheel-tread, and arranged'to @over only )thel outer, perimetrical ore-tread: surfaceiof the-pneumaticr tube yor cushiongleavingythe inner perimetrical surfacefofathe tube l,eX-posedffor direct engage-v mentiA with aspokesoin Iturn.1c'onnectedf with the.x ;axl'e,-:1whereby a greater cushioning effector activity of alimitedeareaof the pneumatic tube-isabroughtto ^play: von.A the axley in theft-:absorption rof tread :impacts or shocks f f as...against #the larger i cushioningqareas 1nvolvedfwhere lcontinuous rims are employed to provide fa .pneumatic .,:wh'eel 'construction wherein-.an intleXiblef-and circular armor, comprising .the =tread, and a pneumatic tube, partially linclosedbyzthe armor, are independently connected with the driving-axle by .r means which-1 permit certainl relativey movements, diametrically and axially,A of thei-:armor'and tube-yin order to cushion the axle'against 4shocks fand impacts, but which aX-le,` armor, andtube are related as a system foi-..- synchronous` rotational movements, in order rto obtainy a. positive #drive eiect on both armor `.and tubefandv thus obviate wear byabrasion between the armor and tube; to provide means in such driving connections to absorb; tread impacts .orshocks delivered at angles to the normal wheelI alinement: and to improve generally upon pneumatic wheels of the typestated With the above and other obiects in view. my invention resides `in certainvnovel yfeatures of form, construction` arrangement, and combination of parts, all as will hereinafter be described and afterward pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, which illus- Specication of LettersPatent.

a relatively in-l Patented Nov. 2b', 19H5.

serial No. 190,571. y

trates the preferred embodiment or' my Vinvention.

Figure 1 is an edge view, partly in section, of a wheel constructedv according to my invention; and f Fig. ,2 is a side elevational view ot' the wheel.

Referring to the said drawing, by uunierals, 3 indicates the driving axle connectedy as common with the transmission, not shown, and having mounted thereon, adjacent its outer end, a hub a held non-rotatablyY thereto bya key or the like 5 and against axial movements thereon by a nut y or the like 6.

Carried by the hub, at an approximate median point axially, is a pair of outstanding- -anges 7, which arey relatively spaced and parallel and through which are formed axially alined holesy or apertures 8 arranged to receive pivot-bolts 9 carrying outwardly projecting spokes 10. rlhese spokes l0 are urcated at their free, outer ends to straddle a suitable pneumatic tube l1, which surrounds all of the said spoke-ends and is directly engaged thereby, as shown.

ySurrounding the pneumatic tube l1, is an annular or circular armor or shoe 12, preferably-constructedy of suitable sheet metal and 'whose cross-section is arcuated to` conform with the tube il when inflated, the

armor or shoe 12 sectionallvcovering the armor 12 are provided vwith notches 13y which-allow freev diametrical movements of the spokes 10 relatively to the armor and alsov certain limited rotational movements of the spokes relatively tothe armor when the tube is inflated, in order to limit wheel' distortion under normal conditions, and which furcated spoke-ends and notched armor-sides provide for a preservation of yspoke-spacing under abnormal conditions, such as a complete, or nearly complete. deliation of the pneumatic tube, to the end that the wheel 1s capable of carrying its load, as a solid wheel. without danger of collapse and without injury to the pneumatic tube, as by rim cutting.

On each side of the armor, intermediately the notches 13, are marginally projecting ears 14, related as axially alined pairs and perforated, the ears 14 on the innermost side being connected with spokes 15 in radial arrangement and paralleling the wheel line, and the ears 14 on the outermost vside being connected with struts 16 leading from the spokes, whereby, when stress is applied to the spokes for tread drive, the tendency toward torque or torsional strain on the armor will be obviated.

vSurrounding the axle, in the plane of the spokes 15, is a spider 17, whose hub is centrally apertured in excess of the axle diameter so as to be free to move at varying angles relatively to the axle as may be caused by temporary deflections vot the wheel from its alined position, and which spider comprises arms in radial correspondence with the spokes .15 and to which saidA spokes arey connected by slot-and-pin con-v nections 18, in order to compensate partially for armor distortion, under abnormal conditions, and which distortion is, in nari'.

provided for by cushion-blocks 19 arranged l between the inner spoke-ends andthe spider-arms.

Carried by the spider at diametrically opposite points, and in'parallelism with the axle, are tines ,20, and fixed to theV axle against both longitudinal and independent rotational movement, is a fork 21, whose tines, like the tines 20, are provided with openings at their free ends to receive pins 22 carried in cross arrangement by a ring 23, which, with said tines, constitutes a universal-joint between the spider and the axle, `whereby the 'spider and armor will be rotatedsynchronously with the axle vand consequently also with hub '4 and tube 11,y but which will allow certain movement between the armor and axle as requiredfor lir'ev or cushion-etliciency between the treadA and axle.

I am aware that changes in the form, conepics of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by address said cushioning-member, and means adapted to provide a driving connection independent of the wheel between the treadmember and the axle, said means permitting movement of the tread-member substantially in all directions relatively to the axle and including a spider adapted to loosely encircle the axle and having a diameter excessively greater than the diameter of the axle, spokes between the tread-member and the spider, each spoke being fastened at oneend to the tread-member and having independent slot-and-pin connection at its other end with the spi`der,and a universal joint device adaptedv to connect the spider withv 2. A wheel structure includingan annular tread-member, a spider adapted to loosely encircle an axle, spokes having connection at their ends with the tread-member and the spider, and means adapted to provide a driving-connection between the spider and the axle, said means including a universal joint for permitting movement oi' the spider and tread-memberv relatively` 3. A pneumatic wheel structure comprising a hub adapted topbel mounted upon an axle, spokes pivotally connected' at one end wheel, an annular cushioning-member surrounding the spokes, yokes at the vfree endsv vto the' hub to swing in theV plane of the of the spokes loosely engaging the cushioning-member, anannular arcuated protectingV tread-member disposed around the' cushioning-member, thel tread-member being notched at its, sides to movably accommodate saidV yokes, and means adapted to provide an independent driving-connection,` f

between the tread-member and the axle.

4, A pneumatic wheel structure comprisj' -ing a hub adapted to be mounted uponan axle, spokesy having pivotal connection at one end with the hub, any annular cushioning-member surrounding, andy loosely en- Vgaged 'by the free ends of the spokes, an annular arcuated protecting tread.- memberdisposed around the cushioningmember, and means adapted to provide an independ-y ent driving-connection between-the tread-ff member and the axle, said means including a universal ijoint device for permitting movement of the ltread-memberl relatively to the axle.' v

In testimony whereof, y'I have signed my name to this specification. l

JAMES Af CARTER.

Washington,-D.C.

ing the Commissioner of Patent. 

